Electrical contact pin receptacle element

ABSTRACT

An electrical contact pin receptacle element in which a plurality of resilient, electrically conductive springs are disposed in an annular arrangement forming a cylindrical structure. One of the ends of each spring is secured to an annular mounting plate, while the other ends are disposed around an annular mounting ring, and extend radially inwardly towards the center of the mounting ring and the cylindrical structure and longitudinally towards the mounting plate. Insertion of a contact pin radially offset from the longitudinal axis of the receptacle element causes the mounting ring to shift with respect thereto so that the inwardly extending ends of the springs receive the contact pin and engage it with equal spring tension.

United States Patent 1191 Silbermann ELECTRICAL CONTACT PIN RECEPTACLE ELEMENT [75] Inventor: Erich Silbermann, Bubenreuth,

Germany [73] Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft, Munich,

Germany [22] Filed: Apr. 11, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 350,046

[30] I Foreign Application Priority Data Apr. 20, 1972 Germany 2219351 [52] US. Cl. 339/258 R, 24/217, 339/262 R [51] Int. Cl H01r 13/12 [58] Field of Search.,... 339/255 RT, 256, 258, 259,

' 11] 3,805,220 1451 Apr. 16, 1974 152,734 l2/l9 55 Austriaum'. ..339/256 RT Primary Examiner-Joseph H. McGlynn Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Kenyon & Kenyon Reilly Carr & Chapin s7 ABSTRACT An electrical contact pin receptacle element in which a plurality of resilient, electrically conductive springs are disposed in an annular arrangement forming a cylindrical structure. One of the ends of each spring is secured to an annular mounting plate, while the other ends are disposed around an annular mounting ring, and extend radially inwardly towards the center of the mounting ring and the cylindrical structure and longitudinally towards the mounting plate. Insertion of a contact pin radially offset from the longitudinal axis of the receptacle element causes the 'mounting ring to shift with respect thereto so that the inwardly extending ends of the springs receive the contact pin and engage it with equal spring tension.

8 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The invention relates to electrical connectors, and in particular, to a resilient, electrically conductive receptacle element for receiving an electrical contact pin.

2. Descriptionof the PriorArt Generally speaking, removable circuit breaker switches in switching gear cubicles include electrical contact pins which are inserted into separate receptacle elements in the cubicles to couple the switches thereto. If these contact pins are annular in shape, the radial displacement tolerance of the switches with respect to the cubicle receptacle elements must 'be chosen to be sufi'iciently small, so that each contact pin is inserted into its receptacle element when the switch is installed in the switching cubicle, to assure proper electrical interconnection of the switches and cubicles.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an electrical contact pin receptacle element which assures insertion of the contact pin in the receptacle element and satisfactory electrical contact therebetween when the contact pin is displaced with respect to the receptacle element.

Accordingly, the invention provides an electrical contact pin receptacle element comprising a mounting plate; a mounting ring disposed adjacent and parallel to the mounting plate; and a plurality of elongated, resilient adjacent contact members each having one end thereof secured to the mounting plate, and the other end thereof disposed about the mounting. ringand extending inwardly towards the center of the mounting ring and longitudinally toward the mounting plate, for engaging a contact pin. The contact members are preferably disposed in an annular arrangement so as to form a resilient, cylindrical structure between the plate and ring. The invention thus achieves assurance of insertion and satisfactory electrical contact between the contact pin and the receptacle element even though the contact pin is inserted offset from the central longitudinal axis thereof.

BRIEF DESCRlPTlON OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings, wherein similar reference numerals denote similar elements throughout the several views thereof:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an electrical contact pin receptacle element constructed according to the invention; v

FIG. 2 is an end view .thereof, taken along section 2-2 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a partial plan view of one embodiment of a mounting ring for a receptacle element constructed according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to the drawings, there is shown an electri cal contact pin receptacle element comprising an annular mounting platel, and an annular mounting ring 4 disposed adjacent and parallel to mounting plate 1. A plurality of elongated, resilient electrically-conductive contact members, shown as springs 3, which are disposed in an annular arrangement so as to form a resilient cylindrical structure, have the ends 2 thereof secured on mounting plate 1. The other ends 5 of springs 3 are bent around mounting ring 4, and extend radially inwardly towards the center of ring 4 and longitudinally towards. mounting plate 1. Ends 5 form a conical shaped spring structure about longitudinal axis 7 of the receptacle element, and extend radially inwardly towards the center of the cylinder formed by springs 3 at an angle of approximately 45 with respect to longitudinal axis 7, i.e., the ends are bent around ring 4 through an angle of approximately 135. Between plate 1 and annular ring 4, springs 3 are linear and include U-shaped bends 6. These constrictions increase the resiliency of the cylindrical structure formed by the springs.

Mounting plate 1 comprises a plate member 10 having a-circumferential recess 11 in the radially outer surface thereof, in combination with an annular ring member 12 which is slideably disposed over ends 2 and plate member 10. The ring member and ends 2 extend inwardly into recess 11 for securing springs 3 on the mounting plate. An annular aperture 14 extends through plate 10 and opens into an annular lateral recess 13 provided in one side surface of plate member 10. Fastening means, illustrated as bolt 16, is disposed in the recess and through aperture 14 for securing the A receptacle element to a conductor, such as a' bus bar.

A leaf spring 17, having an annular aperture for receiving bolt 16, is disposed over the bolt between the ,head thereof and plate member 10. The leaf spring provides secure mechanical and electrical coupling of the receptacle element to the bus bar, while at the same time permitting movement of the annular ring, springs, and plate member of the'receptacle element. Springs 3 are preferably spaced apart by a distance which is sufficient to permit the leaf spring to be inserted lengthwise between the springs and then rotated approximately 90 to a vertical position wherein it is substantially par allel to mounting plate 1. This constrpction of the plate member eliminates the need for special mounting flanges for electrically and mechanically coupling the receptacle to a bus bar. The curvedbends in ends 2 of springs 3 are provided during fabrication of the receptacle element by slideably disposing ring member 12 with the bends provided therein over ends 2 and contact springs 3, and then forceably aligning plate member 10 with ring member 12, thus causing ends 2 of springs 3 to be bent inwardly into recesses 11 by the curved portions of the ring member. This may be accomplished without appreciable heating of the plate member during the fabrication process.

Annular mounting ring 4 may, if desired, be provided 7 with a plurality of recesses on the radially inner and outer surfaces thereof for separating springs 3. The re cesses 8 and 9 are arranged in pairs along separate radii of annular ring 4. In this embodiment of mounting ring 4, it is preferable if the ring comprises an annular disc.

Annular mounting ring 4 determines the radial deviation tolerance with respect to longitudinal axis 7 of the contact pin 15 during insertion thereof into the receptacle element. When contact pin 15 is inserted radially offset from longitudinal axis 7, within the radius of mounting ring 4, pin 15 engages ends 5 of springs 3 and shifts the mounting ring away from axis 7, in the direction in which the contact pin is offset from the axis. This occurs since the spring constant of ends is greater than the spring constant of the linear portion of springs 3 disposed between the mounting plate 1 and annular ring 4. This shift of mounting ring 4 causes ends 5 of the springs to engage contact pin with ap proximately the same spring tension, thereby assuring good electrical contact between pin 15 and the receptacle element. The electrical contact between the offset contact pin and the receptacle element is, thus, independent of the radial position of the contact pin with respect to axis 7 of the receptacle element.

While there have been disclosed herein several preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be understood by those persons skilled in the art that many changes and modifications may be made thereunto, and it is therefore intended in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical contact pin receptacle element, comprising:

a mounting plate,

a mounting ring, disposed adjacent and parallel to said mounting plate; and

a plurality of elongated, resilient adjacent contact.

members, each having one end thereof secured to said mounting plate and the other-end thereof disposed about said mounting ring and extending inwardly towards the center of said mounting ring and longitudinally towards said mounting plate, for engaging a contact pin.

2. The element as recited in claim 1, wherein said mounting plate and mounting ring are annular in shape, and wherein said contact members and said ends thereof are disposed in an annular arrangement.

3. The element as recited in claim 2, wherein said contact members comprise elongated springs having a U-shaped bend disposed between said mounting plate and said mounting ring.

4. The element as recited in claim 3, wherein said other ends of adjacent pairs of said springs are joined to form V-shaped members for engaging a contact pin.

5. The element as recited in claim 1 wherein said mounting ring comprises an annular ring having a plurality of spaced-apart recesses provided on the radially inner and outer surfaces thereof, said recesses being arranged opposite each other in pairs on the inner and outer surfaces of said ring along separate radii thereof.

6. The element as recited in claim 1, wherein said mounting plate comprises an annular plate member, and an annular ring member slideably disposed over said plate member, the ends of said contact members secured on said mounting plate being disposed between said plate member and said ring member.

7. The element as recited in claim 6, wherein said annular plate member includes a circumferential recess disposed in the radially outer surface thereof, and wherein said ends of said contact members secured on said mounting plate extend radially inwardly thereinto, for securing said contact member ends on said plate member.

8. The element as recited in claim 6, wherein said plate member includes a recess disposed in one side thereof and an aperture opening into said recess and extending through said plate member, and further comprising fastening means, disposed in said recess through said aperture, and spring means disposed between said plate member and said fastening means, for mechanically and electrically coupling the receptacle element to a conductor. 

1. An electrical contact pin receptacle element, comprising: a mounting plate, a mounting ring, disposed adjacent and parallel to said mounting plate; and a plurality of elongated, resilient adjacent contact members, each having one end thereof secured to said mounting plate and the other end thereof disposed about said mounting ring and extending inwardly towards the center of said mounting ring and longitudinally towards said mounting plate, for engaging a contact pin.
 2. The element as recited in claim 1, wherein said mounting plate and mounting ring are annular in shape, and wherein said contact members and said ends thereof are disposed in an annular arrangement.
 3. The element as recited in claim 2, wherein said contact members comprise elongated springs having a U-shaped bend disposed between said mounting plate and said mounting ring.
 4. The element as recited in claim 3, wherein said other ends of adjacent pairs of said springs are joined to form V-shaped members for engaging a contact pin.
 5. The element as recited in claim 1 wherein said mounting ring comprises an annular ring having a plurality of spaced-apart recesses provided on the radially inner and outer surfaces thereof, said recesses being arranged opposite each other in pairs on the inner and outer surfaces of said ring along separate radii thereof.
 6. The element as recited in claim 1, wherein said mounting plate comprises an annular plate member, and an annular ring member slideably disposed over said plate member, the ends of said contact members secured on said mounting plate being disposed between said plate member and said ring member.
 7. The element as recited in claim 6, wherein said annular plate member includes a circumferential recess disposed in the radially outer surface thereof, and wherein said ends of said contact members secured on said mounting plate extend radially inwardly thereinto, for securing said contact member ends on said plate member.
 8. The element as recited in claim 6, wherein said plate member includes a recess disposed in one side thereof and an aperture opening into said recess and extending through said plate member, and further comprising fastening means, disposed in said recess through said aperture, and spring means disposed between said plate member and said fastening means, for mechanically and electrically coupling the receptacle element to a conductor. 